Vanilla Glazed Doughnuts

Doughnuts, also spelled donuts, are a type of sweet fried pastry. They are made from a dough that is typically leavened with yeast, although there are cake doughnut varieties that don't use yeast as leavening. This recipe is for a yeasted dough, deep-fried in oil until golden brown and crispy on the outside.

There are so many varieties of doughnuts, but my particular favorite is a good old-fashioned vanilla glazed doughnut. I love to fry the donut holes and roll them in a cinnamon sugar mixture. (Doughnuts don't roll out twice very well, so I cut up the scraps and also fry them up and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups warm milk (110-115°F)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons yeast (I like to use rapid-rise but you can also use active dry yeast)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 5-6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• Vegetable or canola oil, for frying

For the glaze:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon corn syrup (this is optional--it adds shine)

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until the yeast is foamy. (if using rapid rise yeast you don't have to let it sit)

2. Add the eggs, softened butter, salt, and 2 of the cups of flour to the bowl and mix until well combined.

3. Add the rest of the flour to the bowl, a little bit at a time, and mix until a soft dough forms and the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball. (drier climates will need less flour--humid climates may need more)

4. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 5-10 minutes until it passes the *windowpane test* (you can pinch off a small piece of dough, hold it up to a window or light, and stretch the dough. If you can see light through the dough before it breaks it's ready.)

5. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic, and let it rise in a warm place for 30-60 minutesu ntil it has doubled in size.

6. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and roll it out on a floured surface to 1/2 inch thickness.

7. Cut out doughnuts using a doughnut cutter or two round biscuit cutters (one larger and one smaller. You can also use a round cookie cutter and a large piping tip). Cover with a towel, and let them rise for another 30 minutes.

8. Heat vegetable oil in a large pot, electric skillet, or deep fryer to 350°F.

9. Gently place a few doughnuts at a time into the hot oil, and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown.

10. Remove the doughnuts from the oil using a slotted spoon, and place them on a wire rack to cool.

11. To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and corn syrup in a bowl until smooth.

12. Dip each cooled doughnut into the glaze, and let them sit on the wire rack for a few minutes until the glaze is set.

13. Serve and enjoy your homemade doughnuts!

Note: You can also add flavorings to the dough, such as cinnamon or nutmeg. You can also add extra decorations like rainbow sprinkles or by coloring the glaze.